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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 2019)
A4 OPINION Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, May 1, 2019 Era of Robotics dawns in agriculture I n 10 years, the labor shortage in U.S. agricul- ture will be a thing of the past. Think about that state- ment. If the supply of labor were to match the demand in orchards, dairies, nurseries and processing plants, U.S. agriculture will have entered a new era. Call it the Era of Robotics. “I believe we are at a tip- ping point where over the next 10 years robotic harvest will become the norm,” Dan Steere, Abundant Robotics co-founder and CEO, told EO Media Group reporter Dan Wheat. Abundant Robotics this spring ushered in the era for apples. One of the compa- ny’s machines was used to harvest an orchard in New Zealand this spring. The robot meticulously worked its way through the orchard, vacuuming apples off trees that were trained to trellises and whisking them into bins. This step toward a mech- anized apple harvest follows on the heels of self-propelled picking platforms that allow pickers to leave their lad- ders at the shed and instead motor through orchards. The mobile platforms increased production of pickers, requiring fewer of them and easing the shortage. Robotics have also gained popularity at many dairies, where cows decide for them- selves when they need to be milked. The robots not only clean and milk the cows, but take their temperatures and screen them for production and indicators of illnesses. If a cow presents any symp- toms, she is automatically separated from the herd and a veterinarian is notifi ed. The driver for the research that led to these breakthroughs is the increas- ing shortage of farm labor. In orchards and dairies, the shortages have been partic- ularly vexing. The need for farmworkers in both types of operations is massive. Dair- ies must milk cows two or three times a day in addition to growing feed and tending the herds. In orchards, har- vest and pruning trees are labor-intensive operations. The labor needs have forced many farmers to look abroad for help. Using the federal H-2A foreign guest- worker program, they hire and bring help from coun- tries such as Mexico. Last year, Washington apple growers alone hired 24,862 guestworkers. Nationwide, about 242,762 H-2A guest- workers were brought into the U.S. because farmers have no other way to get their crops harvested. And it’s not cheap: the federal government requires farmers to pay for transportation and housing, in addition to pay- ing them a higher wage. The economics alone make robotics more attrac- tive. A robot can work 24/7 with no breaks. And now it is becoming more tech- nologically attractive, and companies such as Abundant Robotics, based in Califor- nia, and FFRobotics, based in Israel, are engaged in a “space race” of sorts to bring robots into the world’s apple orchards. As the robots get faster and better, they will revolu- tionize the apple industry, just as they are doing for the dairy industry. Other types of agriculture, from aspar- agus to strawberry farms, are also ripe for robotics. Any farm that requires a lot of labor to do repetitive tasks is a prime prospect for robotics. This is the dawn of an exciting new era for agri- culture, and for anyone who eats. Blue Mountain EAGLE Published every Wednesday by SHOOTING THE BREEZE GO FISHIN’ I t is looking like spring might be here to stay. The rivers and creeks are start- ing to go down, and except for a turkey or two, hunting is on hold. That must mean that it is time to go fi shing. I freely admit that I’m not a diehard fi sherman. That being said, it beats mowing the lawn, so I go every now and then. My kids love to fi sh, even my little princess. Since I want her to enjoy the outdoors Rod Carpenter with me, I encour- age it as much as possible. When I started looking into places to take my kids, I was amazed at the opportunities we have right here in Grant County. Did you know the Oregon Depart- ment of Fish and Wildlife stocks over 25 ponds, lakes and streams in Grant County? The Eagle pub- lished the schedule in the April 3 newspaper, and you can fi nd that online or check myodfw. com. Most of us know about Sev- enth Street, Holliday and McHa- ley ponds. They are great places to take the kids for some easy suc- cess, but did you know about all the others? The John Day offi ce has a map of 22 ponds all within 20 miles of Ukiah. I’m pretty excited to go try them out this year. I’m thinking of getting a couple of buddies together and having a race. We are going to have a set time to hit as many of the ponds as we can while catch- ing one fi sh at each pond. If those ponds sound a little too pedestrian for your taste, or if you are looking for more of an adventure, the county can cater to that as well. Strawberry and High lakes, as well as the Aldrich Ponds, are a great choice. They all require a couple-mile hike to access, but provide amazing scen- ery. The fi shing is a little more GUEST COMMENT Small businesses woven into our lives I have a challenge for you. Try to go one day with- out having a small business impact your life. In fact, try to go one day without having at least a dozen small businesses touch your day. It’s impossible. And it’s something that makes me proud. There are nearly 378,000 small businesses in Oregon. Beyond the two out of three net new jobs they create, and beyond their employ- ment of half the state’s workforce, small businesses are woven into the fabric of our daily lives. Consider an average day. You wake up in your home that was built by small contractors. The framers, roofers, electricians, plumbers and painters were all likely from local small businesses. Your breakfast — be it the milk, the juice, the cereal, the eggs, the toast, the jam — all came from a farm. And given our local agricultural abundance, it’s very likely it was sourced locally. The business that paved the roads of your commute, the busi- nesses that repair the car, bus, bike or plane you ride to work — or the businesses that built those parts for these modes of transpor- tation — are most likely small businesses too. The coffee shop where you meet a client or friend, the play- ground where you take your chil- dren or the dental offi ce where you get your teeth cleaned all have small business written all over them. These are the local heroes we celebrate during National Small Business Week — entrepreneurs Publisher............ ......................................Chris Rush, crush@eomediagroup.com Editor & General Manager ...............Sean Hart, editor@bmeagle.com Reporter ...................................................Richard Hanners, rick@bmeagle.com Community News .................................Angel Carpenter, angel@bmeagle.com Sports ........................................................Angel Carpenter, angel@bmeagle.com Marketing Rep .......................................Kim Kell, ads@bmeagle.com Administrative Assistant ..................Makenna Adair, offi ce@bmeagle.com Offi ce Assistant .....................................Alixandra Hand, offi ce@bmeagle.com Jeremy Field like Marshall Doyle from Cal- Cert Company, the U.S. Small Business Administration 2019 Oregon Small Business Person of the Year, who contributed to the safety of many people in our state by providing calibration and certi- fi cation of testing equipment used in the construction, aerospace and automotive industries. Every year since 1963, the president has declared National Small Business Week as a time to shine a spotlight on the impact of small businesses on our econ- omy and communities. During this year’s celebration, May 5-11, I challenge you take a moment to realize how many touchpoints you have with small businesses every day. It’s something we often take for granted. As you refl ect on those small businesses that seamlessly weave into your day, consider the peo- ple behind the businesses. Amer- ica’s progress has been driven by pioneers who think big, take risks and work hard. And consider the social impact small business owners have. Take Marshall, for example. Not only does he create jobs and economic opportunities for people in Ore- gon, his company’s success has allowed him to give back to his 1 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION RATES (including online access) Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION Contributed photo Columnist Rod Carpenter’s 9-year- old daughter, Ella, shows off the spoils of a successful fi shing trip. challenging, but a little more rewarding as well. Take your camping gear and make a week- end of it. Rather wade a stream? We can do that. I have been drown- ing worms in the John Day River and Canyon Creek my whole life. Once I caught a 22-inch trout right underneath the Bridge Street bridge. The Burnt River out of Unity has always treated me pretty well also. Of course, the lower John Day is world renowned for its bass fi shing, and I hear that it is good for catfi shing as well, but I have never tried it. I would give you some advice on tackle and techniques if I had any, but I don’t. I like to catch fi sh as long as I’m fi shing so I always start with live bait, usually worms, wherever I go. I don’t know any- thing about depth or how to pick the right lure or fl y. If the worms don’t work, I just start throwing stuff and hope for the best. If you have any advice for me, I would love to hear it. Whatever your tastes, take a break from the yard work and get out and do some fi shing this summer. We welcome your thoughts and ideas at shootingthebreezebme@ gmail.com. Rod Carpenter is a husband, father and hunting fool. Grant County .........................................$45 Everywhere else in U.S. .......................$57 Outside Continental U.S. ....................$60 Online: BlueMountainEagle.com Subscriptions must be paid prior to delivery Periodicals Postage Paid at John Day and additional mailing offi ces. POSTMASTER send address changes to: Blue Mountain Eagle 195 N. Canyon Blvd. John Day, OR 97845-1187 USPS 226-340 Phone: 541-575-0710 community. He volunteers as a mentor through the Small Busi- ness Development Center network at Clackamas Community College as well as being actively involved in local high schools and Portland State University. It’s a way for Marshall to pay forward the guidance he received from the SBDC earlier in the busi- ness’ history. With help from SBDC advisers, he was able to turn the company from the brink of bankruptcy and grow its mar- ket share to 41 states and 13 coun- tries while increasing gross reve- nue 18-fold. Small business owners are one of our state’s greatest resources. The SBA is proud to be a thread in the fabric of what small busi- ness owners weave to achieve. During National Small Busi- ness Week, join me in honoring the small businesses and entre- preneurs that are woven into our lives. Jeremy Field is the regional administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration Pacifi c Northwest Region, which serves Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska. The SBA empowers entre- preneurs and small businesses with resources to start, grow, expand or recover. Copyright © 2019 Blue Mountain Eagle All rights reserved. No part of this publication covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means — graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, taping or information storage and retrieval systems — without written permission of the publisher. facebook.com/MyEagleNews @MyEagleNews
